July 2017

Montreal Things To Do
When it comes to things to do in Montreal, this city is a hidden gem which comes to life in the summer. There's a ton of fun things to do in our city, rich in it's diversity of neighborhoods and culture. If you're a foodie like me and your heart is in your stomache, you'll appreciate all the wonderful places to eat and discover. Our city has no shortage of awesome restaurants.
Top Things to do in Montreal
On those beautiful summer days and nights there's nothing like sitting outside and enjoying a drink or dinner on one of our...

Westmount Village Walking Tour
Westmount Village Walking Tour is what I decided to do this past weekend, to take advantage of our beautiful summer day. There are several parts of Westmount which are truly wonderful which I'll cover in another post, but for now I thought I would share two short videos of what it feels like to walk in and around Westmount's Victoria Village. The homes are older but rich with character and warmth. The shops are diverse and stretch right to the heart of Sherbrooke West. The beauty is that everything is in walking distance! The florist, supermarket, vet,...

Canada's 10 Best Neighborhoods To Raise Kids
Article Via Moneysense
Canada's 10 Best Neighborhoods To Raise Kids includes a fantastic neighborhood called St Bruno De Montarville. In fact, according to an article by Moneysense, St Bruno ranks number #1 as one of the best places to raise kids.
I recently worked with a lovely young family looking to purchase their first home. They told me about St Bruno and off we went to visit homes. It did not disappoint! I can see why the data showed that St Bruno proved to be one of Canada's best neighborhoods to raise kids. Only 30 minutes...

Airbnb And Montreal
Airbnb and Montreal, as of the writing of this article, July 23rd 2017, is still a gray area. Just like Uber, it took awhile, years in fact, for the city to figure out a peaceful way forward between Uber & the Taxi industry. Uber disrupted the status quo for taxi drivers around the globe and Airbnb, the hotel business.
Montreal had to come to terms with the fact that Uber was not going to disappear from the landscape and similarly, Airbnb is here to stay. According to Leigh Gallagher, in her article 5 Lessons from the story of Airbnb,...

Canada's Best Value Real Estate Markets
Story Via CTV - Realtor Monte Burris appears on CTV's Your Morning, Monday, July 10, 2017.
Canada's best value real estate markets according to Toronto broker Monte Burris, owner of Trust Realty Group, as he told CTV, are not blanketed across Canada, but are to be found in distinct towns and cities. These are his top choices, based on average sale prices across all housing types in the first quarter of 2017:
1. VICTORIA, B.C. – $585,745 – Fantastic climate, waterfront, huge appreciation potential but much less expensive than Vancouver
2. VERNON, B.C. – $466,678 – All the...

What's Happening In Montreal Real Estate July 2017
What's Happening In Montreal Real Estate July 2017? Well according to the latest quarterly report of The Barometer, published by the QFREB;
The Montreal residential real estate market is up 8% in sales over last year
The condo market registered a whopping 17% increase in sales
Single family homes registered an increase of 4%
The Island of Montreal posted a 12% increase in sales and Ville Marie 36%
Sales of properties $500,000 and more were up 31% and properties $700,000 and more, increased by 40%
The number of active listings across the CMA...

Renewables will be the cheapest form of new power generation by 2020
Story Via Business Insider
Renewables will be the cheapest form of new power generation by 2020 according to Morgan Stanley. Energy sources like wind and solar will be cheaper than their coal counterparts. In fact they predict that in less than three years, renewables will be the cheapest source of power generation in the world. The bank noted that "The price of solar panels has fallen 50% in less than two years (2016-17).” "We expect the US to exceed the Paris commitment of a 26-28% reduction in US 2005-level carbon...

Buying Affordability In Montreal
Buying Affordability In Montreal depends on where and what you buy! According to the Montreal Gazette,
"Compared to Vancouver and Toronto, buying a home in Montreal is relatively affordable. But with rising prices, and some areas seeing faster increases than others, affordability often comes down to where — and what — you’re buying."
According to the QFREB, these are the median condo prices in Montreal:
*Includes central de-merged suburbs of Town of Mount Royal, Westmount, Hampstead and Montreal-West
**Includes municipal Sud-Ouest borough and Verdun
Via the QFREB, these are the median prices for single family homes by neighborhood:
*Includes central de-merged suburbs of...

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Google Reviews

It was a pleasure to work with Bonnie. She is very professional and luckily for us she is very patient and tenacious in everything she does. She always answers our calls, texts or emails, irregardless of the time they come in. She is just an incredible person who dedicates herself to her clients and makes sure that they are well informed about the properties they are considering. She makes you feel like you are her only client. I look forward to working with Bonnie again soon.read more

Bonnie helped us find our first home! She was a pleasure to work with - always responsive and punctual with a fun personality to boot. It took almost six months to find what we were looking, and Bonnie guided us the whole way. We appreciated her knowledge and experience, especially when it came to holding out for what we really wanted. There was a property we were sold on, but it had some major drawbacks. Bonnie was able to give us the confidence to hold out for something better, and we are so glad we did because the home we eventually found had everything we wanted. Thank you, Bonnie, for all your help!read more

We’re residents of California and recently had the pleasure of working with Bonnie to purchase a vacation condo in Old Town Montreal. Bonnie was recommended to us by another American and what a great recommendation!
Bonnie and I talked by phone a few times to get to know each other and so she could learn what we wanted and our tastes, and we emailed listings back and forth before our trip to Montreal. Bonnie planned a full afternoon of condo visits in different areas of Montreal and chauffeured us around to each one--her parallel parking skills are unmatched! : ) Back in California, we decided to make an offer and Bonnie answered all our questions via email and phone, and guided us through making an online offer across a continent.
Sadly, the owner opted to pull their condo off the market. Bonnie rallied us and we continued to look at listings. Several times she previewed condos for us, sending photos or video. After a second trip to Montreal to visit (and revisit) condos with Bonnie, we made another offer, which was accepted. Next Bonnie helped arrange or provided info for an inspection, Canadian home insurance and banks, and the electric and phone/internet companies. She put us in touch with the condo association and procured documents for us. When my husband flew to Montreal for the signing, she drove him home from the notary, and later took him around Montreal to get key copies and try to find an open bank (holiday weekend).
Bonnie went above and beyond for us time and time again, with a great sense of humor and a lot of patience. We can’t wait to get back to Montreal to use our new condo, and look forward to seeing her again. We highly recommend Bonnie for anyone who seeks to purchase property in Montreal and wants a smooth and enjoyable journey to success!read more

I had a great experience with Bonnie Meisels. I had recently moved to Montréal and I was looking for an apartment to rent so I decided to use the services of a Real Estate agent. She was the first one I called and I was really pleased with her professionalism and her prompt response to my request. Within a few hours she sent me a bunch of listings to look at and she followed up on them. She provided a great service and I highly recommend her to anybody who is looking for a Real Estate agent.read more

Bonnie was extremely professional and helped me immensely in finding the right place for me. Always on time and always honest. She didn't try to put me in a place that wouldn't be right. We visited many places until we found the perfect spot. I would definitely call her again next time I'm shopping around for a place to live.read more

I had a great experience working with Bonnie. I was coming from outside of Montreal, and Bonnie spent a generous amount of time explaining the intricacies and subtleties of the Montreal market. She is very experienced, and knows the city of Montreal very well. Her recommendation of inspector was top notch. Bonnie is the consummate professional, detail oriented, and was very thorough in arranging my purchase. I recommend her highly, and would happily work with her again.read more

Bonnie made my moving experience a less stressful one. I would absolutely recommend her to friends and family. If you are looking for someone who will put your interests first and work tirelessly to obtain the best possible result, look no further.

We have had the pleasure and honour to work alongside Bonnie as she proved to be a cut above the rest in her work ethic, her principles, and her tenacity in delivering what she promises. She is honest, resourceful, and most importantly, she cares about her clients needs. We will be staying in contact with Bonnie for our future endeavours, and we recommend her to anyone looking in the Montreal and surrounding area. Thank you Bonnie!read more

Bonnie’s strength is her caring follow-through. She is quick to respond, and when difficulties arise, she is an active and effective advocate. As foreign buyers our situation was especially complicated, but Bonnie patiently explained things and guided us through, during the sale and beyond. It really helped to have someone on our side.read more

Bonnie was extremely helpful throughout the entire process, and was very knowledgeable about the market in Montreal. Phone calls were prompt and informative, and our visit to Montreal to view listings could not have been easier. My father and I would strongly recommend her to anyone -- student, business, or otherwise -- looking for real estate in Montreal!read more